Motion toy



30, 1930. c, CREW 1,786,737

MOTION TOY Filed May 29. I928 IN VEN TOR. (WA/n 5 1?. CR5 w IV/f/VESSES:

'Patented- Dec. 30, 1939 ennnnns R. onnw, or EDGEWOOD, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T LLOYD GIADLEY, or 1 VLLAKERCEPENNSYLVANIA, I

MOTION o Application filed May 29, 1928.- SerialNo. 281,446.

'l'his' invention relates to improvements in toys and more particularly to motion'toys or in other words those which are operable to simulate motion,'and the general ob ect of the invention is to provide a toy embodying a figure representing a dancer and which .figurehas jointed limbs, in combination with a vibratory platform through the vibration of which" the limbs may be caused to move thus adapting the figure to simulate the movement-s of a dancer, and, in this connection, the invention contemplates a novel arrange'ment of the platformiin such manner that it maybe manually vibrated with little .efiort. I

Another object of the invention is to pro- 'vide' a;motion' toy of the class described embodying the combinationof a figure having "articulated limb members, a platform, means supporting the platform for oscillatory movement, and resilientmeans foryieldably cause a vibration thereof, bringing its surface into. and out of contact, repeatedly, with the feet portion of the limb members of the figure so as to cause the limb members to move in a manner simulatingthe movements Qof a dancer.

for imparting motion to the figure of the toy,

'Another object. of thepinvention is to provide a motion toy oftheclass described which will be'devoid of mechanical operating parts such for example as spring or other motors,

, gears; or the like, and which toy will be ex vvceptionally simple in its construction and capable of having any of its component parts readily replaced atan exceptionally low cost.

As previously stated, the invention contemplates the provision,- in connection. with the figure and its articulated limb members,

of a vibratory platform, and another object of the invention is to employ, asthe yieldable v or resilientcmovement resisting means refer-i redv toabove, for association with the platform, resilientparts, such as ordinary rubber bands, which 'mayybe readily obtained upon the market and replaced whenever they become worn or deteriorated orbreak, so that the employment of expensive springs 1s ent tirel'y obviated and, due to the nature of these elements they may bereadily replaced.

" While the accompanying drawings and the description which is to follow, constitute a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it willbe understood that various changes may bemade within the scope of whatis claimed. I V

In the accompanying drawingsi Figure 1 is a viewin side elevation of the toy embodying the invention r,

Figure 2 1s a front elevation of the toy;

Figure 3'is a horizontal sectional'view taken substantially on the li1ie33'of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by thev arrows. I

The toy, embodying the invention, maybe "made from any inexpensive material such for example as wood, and the .same comi p pr ses a base 1 which may be OI oblong rectangular form or any other desired marginal contour, and secured at opposite points to the base are the lower ends of a pair of uprights I 2 which extend parallel to each' other and, in this instance, substantially midway between the ends ofthe base.- These-uprights are connected at their upper ends by across piece whlchxis 1nd1catedby the numeral :3"

and, for a purpose which will now be described, spaced arms'e project, in the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention, from one side ofsaid cross piece 1n parallel relation to each other;

The figure of the toy is indicated in general by thenumeralv'b and may represent a clown or any other dancing performer, and this figure may likewise be made of; .wood

and includes,in its structure,a bodyfi which is formed at the portions thereofwhich represent the shouldersof the imitated performer, with a transversely extending bore indicated by the'numeral 7, a pin 8-being fitted through this bore and mounted-at its ends in the ends of the supporting arms a,

the body of the figure being in this manner suspended for free swinging movement betweenthe said arms ,4 and, while the supportg:

ing arms 1 may likewise represent the arms of the imitated performer, it is preferable that the figure embody arm members 9 which are likewise suspended from the pin 8 between the body 6 of the figure and the ends of the said arms 4, the arms 9% being preferably formed in a plurality of sections 10 pivotally connected as indicated by the nuinera' 'l 11-so as to represent the upper and fore arm of the imitated performer.

The figure 5' further embodies limb members which are indicated in general by'the mimeral 12 and which may be. also formed of wood, and each of these members preferably comprises upper and lower sections 13 and 1 1- respectively pivotally connected by a pivot joint 15' such as illustrated in the drawings and consisting for example of inter-fitting ears upon the meeting ends of the two sections, and a pivot pin fitted through the said ears. The leg members 12 have their upper sections 13 pivot-ally suspended from the lower end of the body 6 of the toy by providing ears 16 at the upper ends of the sections 13 and arranging these cars in notches 17 formed in the said lower end of the body 6, a pivot pin 18 being fitted transversely through the body and extending across the notches and through openings in the said cars 16. It is also preferable that each limb member 12 be so constructed as to include, in addition to the upper and lower sections 14, foot sections 19 pivotally connected at their upper ends as at 20 to the lower ends of the limb sections 14. Preferably all ofthe pivotal connections between the component parts of the figure 5 of the toy will be sufficiently loose to permit of free relative movement of the connected parts, so that, in the operation of the toy, as will presently be described, the component parts of the limb members and the arm members may have independent movement about connecting pivots and the body of the figure may likewise have free pivotal movement upon the supporting pin 8.

The means provided for imparting a jigging motion to the figure 5 so that its component body, limb, and arm members may have movement simulating the movements of corresponding portions of the body of a dancer, includes a platform 21 which is preferably of approximately the same marginal contour as the base 1, although it may have some other contour, and this platform is pivotally supported midway between its ends and between the uprights 2 by small trunnions or pivot pins 22 which are. secured through the uprights at points spaced above the base 1 and fit loosely in sockets in the lateral edges of the platform. As stated above, the pins 22 which tiltably support the platform 21, are located-above the plane of the base 1 of the toy and consequently the platform 21 is supported in spaced relation to the upper side of the base and it will be observed by reference to Figures 1 and 2 that when the platform 21 is in true horizontal position, the foot members 19 of the figure 5 will rest upon the platform. In order that vibratory motion or quick 0scillation of the platform 21 may be effected in order to impart motion to the limb, arm and body members of the figure 5, pins 23 and 24 are secured in the end edges of the base 1 and platform 21, and rubber bands 25 are engaged about the pins at each end of the structure. 1

The rubber bands 25 referred to above will be of equal size and therefore the platform 21 will be yieldably held in a true horizontal position. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the figure is located at one side of the uprights 2 and it will now be evident that if the platform, at the other side of the uprights, is given sudden and intermittent taps with the fingers of the one using the toy, and the force and extent of these taps is varied from time to time, the platform 21 will be vibrated or caused to oscillate irregularly about its pivots 22 and as a result its portion which is below the figure 5 will strike the foot members 19 of the figure and, due to the free pivotal suspension of the limb members of the figure and the free suspension of the body of the figure and the arm members thereof, and likewise due to the irre ular and intermittent oscillation of the platform,

will be caused to go through man-y amusing changes in position which are so varied in their character that the toy will prove much more interesting and amusing than are toys which are purely mechanically operated and the moving parts of which are actuated in a predetermined sequence and manner. It will be understood that in tapping the platform, as the finger of the user is lifted from the platform, the rubber bands 25 will, through their resiliency, tend to restore the platform to a horizontal position, and therefore the rubber bands serve substantially with the same effectiveness in imparting irregular oscillation to the platform as do the fingers of the user of the toy. Another advantage of the structure shown and described is that by tapping the platform 21 at successive periods and, after each tap, permitting the rubber bands to restore the platforinto its true horizontal position, the figure may be caused to successively assume various different attitudes representing postures which might be assumed by a performer.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: r

ing said figure, an elongated platform extend-- below said figure and above said base, a pin ing between said uprights, means pivotally supporting said platform upon said uprights carried byeaoh end of said platform and said base, and elastic bands yieldably connecting the pins of the platform to the pins of the base, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. Asan article of manufacture, a toy in- I eluding a base, parallel uprights fixed to and extending upwardly from said base, a figure, means carried by said uprights and supporting said figure, an elongated platform extending between said uprights. means pivotally supporting said platform upon said uprights below said figure and above said "base, and yieldable means connecting each end portion of said platform to a corresponding portion of said base, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature; 7

CHARLESR. CREW. 

